Safe and Sound
by Devon Goes to Heaven
Summary: Sansa escapes Baelish and finds her way to Castle Black. Hints of Jon/Sansa.


_**Disclaimer:** I do not own Game of Thrones. I am not profiting from this in any way._

_**AN:** Just something I whipped up real quick. Sansa deserves all the love she can get, and I swear I'm going to write a dozen little fics where she gets a happier ending._

Safe and Sound

Sansa wasn't foolish enough to believe she was safe with Petyr Baelish. She had enough experience with people to snuff out a snake in the grass, and Baelish was a snake if she had ever seen one. She remembered hesitating that moment Petyr had left to relieve himself in the woods. She feared that she might not be alive for long on her own, but Sansa made her choice.

She still remembered the cool breeze pricking her cheeks as she ran as through the woods. She remembered her legs going numb as she darted through the woods. Her chest burned, pleading with her to stop. She did not stop – not until she was sure that Baelish was far behind her.

The first few days, she was certain that she had brought about her death. She had not eaten anything, but a few berries she had found in the woods. The only drink she had was what remained in the leather pouch she had carried with her. It wasn't until the fifth day that she was discovered by Howland Reed and a group of his loyal soldiers.

"_I was with Lord Baelish," she had spoke. "I feared that he might hurt me."_

"_Smart girl," Howland replied._

Sansa insisted on going to the one place she would be safe, _Castle Black_. And now, with the help of Howland Reed and through sheer perseverance, Sansa had finally made it to her final destination. She stared up at the Wall in complete awe. She hugged her companion tightly. As she pulled away, Reed had thrust a envelope into her hand.

"Give this to Lord Commander Snow," Howland asked. "It is for his eyes only."

Sansa studied the sealed parchment. House Reed had always been an ally of the Starks, but Sansa could not fathom what could be in the letter. She was curious, but did not argue. If the contents of the letter were for Jon, she would respect his privacy.

"Thank you, Howland," Sansa Stark. "I do not know how to repay you."

"All I ask is for you to fulfill a promise made long ago," Howland said. "Deliver that letter to the Lord Commander, and that promise will be honored."

She gave him a brief nod before she was escorted in to the castle by a heavy set man by the name of Sam. His smile was kind as he walked with her through the halls of the castle.

"We're great friends, Jon and I," Sam practically sang.

Sansa glanced up at Sam. His plump face smiled from ear to ear as he looked upon her. "Jon is going to be so delighted to see you again!"

She smiled a little to herself. "It will be so nice to see him again. It has been so long."

After a long walk through various halls and many winding stairs, they finally reached the door to Jon's quarters. Sansa swallowed nervously. It had been too long. She felt tears brim her eyes. The years had broken her mentally and emotionally. She had hoped that time had not done the same to her half-brother.

When Jon opened the door, Sansa could not hold in her tears. His breath was shaky, and he drew her into a tight hug. She wept into his black cloak for what felt like forever. He shushed her as he stroked the back of her head.

"Jon," she cried. "Joffrey and the Queen – they humiliated me – abused me every day. They married me to a Lannister to mock our family."

He held her tightly to him as her feet gave out from underneath her. He lifted her off the ground and carried her inside as Sam followed. Jon sat her down at the table and filled her glass with wine.

"Sam, bring my sister food from the kitchens," he said. "Ask the cook if he might be able to scratch together a lemon cake."

Ghost trotted over from her corner. He licked at Sansa's hands, and almost immediately, Sansa remembered her fallen friend Lady. Tears sprang to her eyes as she remembered Joffrey and Cersei's first act of cruelty against her. She should have sullied Joffrey's reputation that day and stood by her sister's side. Oh, what a fool she had been for her silly little crush on such an evil little boy.

She stroked Ghost's soft fur as she spoke, "The Queen made father kill Lady on the King's Road."

"I'm sorry," he replied.

"She's evil, Cersei..." Sansa whispered. "When Stannis had attacked the castle, she had berated me in front of a bunch of girls. She made me look and feel like an idiot. She always made these little remarks to embarrass me while people watched."

Sansa paused for a moment. "Maybe I am an idiot."

"No," he defended.

Sansa wiped her tears. "Do you think she'll be able to find me here?"

"If the Queen sets foot in Castle Black, my men will bring her to me so that I may kill her myself," Jon promised.

Sansa laughed a little at Jon's threat and took a sip of her wine. The letter pricked at her mind, and Sansa decided now would be the time give the letter to Jon. Sansa pulled the letter from her cloak and set it upon the table.

"From Howland Reed," she said.

Jon's brow furrowed in confusion. He broke the seal on the letter, and his eyes scanned the paper. Sansa watched as his face twisted and turned. Whatever the contents may be, she was sure they weighed heavy upon her half-brother.

"Jon?" Sansa's voice cracked as she spoke his name.

He breathed a weighted sigh as he folded the letter. She glanced into his eyes, searching for answers that he would not give. Finally, Jon set the piece of paper before her. Sansa hesitated for a moment before she took the letter from the table and began to read.

_To Jon Snow,_

_I am sorry this information was unable to come from the late Eddard Stark. He had meant to tell you after you had taken the black, but unfortunately, he never returned from King's Landing to deliver this information..._

Sansa read of her Aunt Lyanna. Her unyielding love for the former Prince Rhaegar Targaryen. She read of the night she had given birth to Jon and died after making her father promise to take care of him. She thought of all the people that had died over their love, and her heart broke at the thought. _The more people you love, the weaker you are_. Hadn't the Queen told her this? It made her sad that their love had cost so much.

"I won't say a word," Sansa promised as she passed the letter back to Jon.

She thought of Cersei. She became angry all over again. _It should be Jon on the throne_, Sansa thought to herself. It was his birthright not that woman's incestuous bastard children. The thought of Joffrey choking on poison popped into her mind. Sansa did not like the sight of violence, but she was grateful for that memory. She would hold tightly to that memory for the rest of her days.

Sam and a few servants entered the room with a trays of food. Sam set a tray of food before Sansa, and her eyes practically sparkled when she saw a small lemon cake in the upper right hand corner of the tray. Sam retrieved a pot of hot water that brewed in Jon's fireplace and poured her a cup of hot tea.

"Thank you," Sansa whispered.

Sam pinched her cheeks affectionately. "Anything to bring a smile to your face, Lady Sansa."

"You should stay eat with us," Sansa said to Sam.

"That's really quite nice, but–"

"You should," Jon insisted with a smile.

A huge grin emerged on Sam's face and he pulled up a chair after Jon dismissed the other servants. Sam poured himself a glass of wine as he stuffed a roll into his mouth.

"This Queen Cersei," Sam said in between bites. "She sounds like a huge cunt."

Sansa laughed at Sam's jape. "That's an accurate way of putting it."

All three of them erupted in laughter. Sansa thought of the queen's cruel stare, and she wished a thousand awful things upon Cersei. If the gods were just, Sansa was certain that Cersei's fate would be thrice as cruel as Sansa's past years as a prisoner.

Sansa took a sip of her tea, and it's warmth spread through her as she swallowed. She glanced at her lemon cake and couldn't help herself anymore. She tore into into it like a hungry wolf. It must have been the best thing she had ever tasted. Arguably, it wasn't as finely prepared as the cakes in King's Landing, but she couldn't recall a time she had been able to eat in such comfort.

She finished the last bite of her cake and practically slug back her wine to wash it down. "Give the cook my thanks when you can, Sam. It was very delicious."

Sam grinned at her. "I'll be sure to tell him."

Sam retired to his quarters after collecting their empty trays. Jon and Sansa spent the following hour drinking the pitcher of wine in front of the fireplace. He told her of his time past the wall. He spoke sadly of his fallen lover Yggrite. He spoke of how he became the Lord Commander of the Night's watch. Then, Sansa remembered the letter and its contents.

"It must have been hard. Father had carried that secret with him for all those years. Mom harbored such a grudge against him. She knows now, and they must be so happy," Sansa's voice hinted a tinge of sorrow. "They might be in this room right now. My parents – your parents..."

Her voice trailed off as she thought of her mother and father. She thought of Robb and the brother's she had lost. She was so thankful that Arya was still out there somewhere. She thought of her sister. She wished she had spent less time fighting with Arya. She wished she had spent more time getting to know the only sibling she had left.

Sansa's eyes were tired, and her head was light from the wine. She laid her head on Jon's lap as tears sprang to her eyes. She was just so grateful for everything.

"It should be you on the throne," Sansa said. "You would be a great king."

"Maybe," Jon said. "But, it's not as if I could march right into the Red Keep, sit upon the Iron Throne, and declare myself King of Westeros."

"No, but it would be nice if you could," Sansa murmured.

Ghost snuggled up close to her and licked her face tenderly. She placed her arm around Ghost and resisted the urge to cry. Gods, she missed Lady so much.

"You're safe here, Sansa," Jon said. "I won't let the Lannister's touch you."

She smiled to herself. It was the last thing he said to her as she drifted to sleep, and that night she dreamed of a dragon defending a helpless wolf cub from the lion that threatened it.


End file.
